Jedi Youngling
by Valerian Arvellan
Summary: In an alternate universe where Anakin was found by the Jedi as a toddler these one-shots explore his early years.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Master Mundi actually possibly sensed Anakin's presence on Tatooine before Qui-Gon but chose not to search it out but this is a what if he did? If I stuck to the correct dates then Anakin would have been around eight or seven when this fic takes place so for the benefit for me it happened six years earlier than canon. This is AU and I know facts will not match. I have not read any star-wars books but have only watched the movies and am working my way through the animated series. This chapter covers quite a few days but I will likely not continue at that pace in each chapter. Not to say Anakin will be a perfect little jedi, he is Anakin after all.

* * *

Sylvn and her friend Twin had been safely situated in his ship, oh how he preferred the simplicity of Cerea where technology amongst his generation was not preferrable. He felt relief flood him that his daughter was now safe from the gangsters that had taken his daughter Sylvn and her friend to Tattooine but now he was following the presence he felt. The pull he had felt as soon as he had landed was hard to ignore, but for a while he had considered ignoring it but another part of him had demanded he follow it.

He let the force guide him and he was not disappointed. He looked at the source of the pull and was surprised, it was a human child of no more than two life days. Small for his age but with a pulsing presence in the force that shone with the innocence of youth. This child would make a powerful jedi, he felt it then. He just had to find his parents and take a midichlorian count to present it as evidence to the council.

At two life days, the child was not too old to be trained for he himself had been four life days of age when the young Master Kuro had brought him to the council. He had trained under Master Yoda into a respected Jedi Knight. The child was toddling over to a woman and from her actions, embracing the child in her arms seemed to be his mother.

Ki-Adi-Mundi walked over and began to speak. "That child is a special child, madam," he paused. "He has the potential to be a jedi and with your agreement I would present him to the Jedi council as an initiate." The Cerean jedi finished as he looked at the woman. Her eyes lit up, he could sense the relief radiating from her, he almost frowned. Many mothers often were upset.

"My Ani has always been special, I had dared not to hope, Master Jedi please take him," the woman said pleadingly. "I'm a slave and once Ani is old enough they'll make him a slave too. I don't want him to live a life like this. " She looked at her son who she cradled in her arms. "There was never a father, I knew from the moment I realised I was expecting that he would be special. I love him more than anything, he is my light but his path is with the jedi, not with me." She murmured as she pressed her lips against his hair.

There was something about her words of no father that stirred in his mind but he could not recall it but he filed it away to ponder on. "You make a hard choice but I assure you that he will be taken to the jedi. I am Jedi Knight Ki-Adi-Mundi. I am regretful to rush your goodbye to your son but my time on Tatooine grows short." He said gently.

"My name is Shmi Skywalker, this is Anakin Skywalker." She answered smiling at him despite the moisture in her eyes. "I'll get him some spare clothes, if there anything he will need?" She asked her voice low.

"The Jedi will provide him with anything he needs, a change of clothes will do him on our journey to Coruscant." Ki-Adi-Mundi answered calmly. Shmi Skywalker was a good woman and Ki-Adi-Mundi hoped the force would be with her. He could feel how much she did not wish to give up her son but her hopes for his future overpowered her other feelings.

Shmi nodded and handed Anakin to the jedi. The young child was looking at the Cerean jedi curiously, his appearance being one he had never seen before. The words nearly caught in her throat but she asked glancing at her two year old son, if she would ever see him again.

"The jedi code does not allow contact of families but once he is trained and a Jedi Knight he can seek you out, many Jedi at least meet their birth families, although it is not encouraged." Ki-Adi-Mundi answered her in what he hoped was a reassuring manner.

"Oh, he won't remember me then but he'll be happier and have a better life. That is what want for him. " Shmi answered hesitantly.

Before Ki-Adi-Mundi knew it he was heading back towards the spaceport with the toddler in tow. The child was sleeping and he was thankful that he did not have to deal with an upset youngling. Sylvn had been quite enamoured with the toddler and had taken him under her wing.

So now he was having to consider how he would debrief to the council. There would be a time for him to discuss his daughters actions that had led him to rescuing her from the grasp of the Hutts. He instead turned his thoughts to young Skywalker. The child intrigued him, he had ran a midichlorian count test and had been suitably amazed. The child held a midichlorian count that surpassed Master Yoda, no easy feat. His count was off the charts and Ki-Adi-Mundi did not consider it a coincidence the force had guided him to the child.

Anakin Skywalker had a destiny ahead of him. The child was untainted by darkness and his future at this moment was bright, perhaps he was a sign of the jedi lifting the blanket of darkness clouding the force. He honestly looked forward to seeing the jedi young Skywalker would become, there was no doubt in his mind that the child would become a fully fledged jedi.

The journey had been a surprise in that the child had not asked after his mother, he could sense confusion in the child but young Skywalker had been a well behaved young one and so it was with the two year old firmly held in his arms that they entered the temple hangar.

Jedi Master Mace Windu raised an eyebrow as he took in the unexpected addition. "Who do we have here?" He inquired calmly.

"A gift from the force, of course," Ki-Adi-Mundi answered just as calmly. "As soon as I set down in Tatooine I felt this little ones presence. The force wanted him to be found and when I checked his midichlorian count I found out why."

Interest flared in Mace Windu's eyes as he looked at the Cerean Jedi. "As high as that of Master Yoda?" He asked Ki-Adi-Mundi seriously.

"Higher, off the charts. He will be a powerful jedi one day." Was the answer.

Mace Windu looked at the child in the arms of his fellow jedi, a child who had the force ability greater than Master Yoda with unveiled curiousity. "The force indeed was guiding you, how else would a child in the Outer Rim be found by us before he was too old." He answered.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Jedi Youngling is mostly a collection of different times from 39BBY—33BBY. There isn't too much I can do in early chapters with Anakin. Docent Vant was the Jedi in charge of Obi-wan's clan when he was a youngling and rather than using an OC, although to me Docent Vant is an OC in all but species, appearance and name. Once again, I have not read the books. A big thanks to the wonderful Advent of Shadows, what would I do without him? He talked me through some matters for the later plot that occurred. This is the rewrite of the original chapter two. I'm a bit happier with it. I will make mentions to events in books but nothing solid on them.

Docent Vant stared at the youngling in amazement before remembering herself. The youngling had mastered the small introductory game into using the force. Some of the others who had began the exercise several months ago had not mastered it to the level that the young human child had. The blue Twi'lek watched the others around the creche room and smiled, enjoying the presence of the younglings.

Soon the younglings of this generation would be placed into clans and she she was assessing them in her own way by placing them in different situations to see who would suit each other. Some other Jedi might disagree with her method and place even those who already did not get on together: on the basis that they would one day have to get along. "This child is strong in the force, his potential is like a blazing presence in the force." She said aloud to herself momentarily amazed. Such a brightness and presence had been something no Jedi had been able to feel in what seemed like decades.

In her group were six younglings. Out of the six likely only two would become fully fledged Jedi Knights and it often pained her to think of them going to Agri-corps. She very much remembered over four years ago, or was it five? All those years ago when she had told a promising youngling named Obi-wan Kenobi he was going to Agri-corps. If not for the fact that Docent was no longer fit for field duty, she would have taken the boy as her Padawan. The force had ensured in the end that Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn had relented and taken Obi-wan Kenobi on.

Now at around eighteen years old, Obi-wan Kenobi had grown into a talented young Jedi and his rebellious streak seemed to have been quelled. Unfortunately, his Jedi Master's own rebellious streak had only became more pronounced in the passing years.

Docent smiled, her mind had wandered and now she returned her attention to her young charges. Jedi younglings were very well behaved, she thought proudly. She may not be able to train another padawan into Knighthood but she could help guide a generation of young Jedi.

The eighteen year old looked at his Master with a look of loathing. "Master, I really must protest your decision for my duty to be with the creche younglings," he cried out, his eyes almost begging as his Master physically pushed him into the room. "Master, please not this. Anything but this." He said in a low voice.

"Obi-wan, I insist, the younglings are our future and one day you may be taking one of these younglings as a Padawan. After all, Master Dooku was only a Padawan when he decided he would train me." Qui-Gon Jinn remarked with amusement twinkling in his eyes at the look of horror on the face of his student.

Defeated Obi-wan slumped his shoulders. "Yes, Master."

"You look like you're getting pushed into a nest of Gundarks, brighten up Padawan, they certainly won't bite," Qui-Gon said in bright spirits. "Actually, they won't bite too hard." He corrected himself.

Obi-wan found himself looking at Master Docent Vant, he relaxed a little, he knew the Master well, she had been the Master in charge of his youngling Clan.

"Obi-wan, it is good to see you, child." Master Vant said smiling widely, her kind eyes meeting his own. The Twi'lek rose from her knees, a blonde haired youngling in her arms. She handed the child to Obi-wan. "This is Anakin, he is remarkably strong in the force and has mastered the introductory exercise. Would you like to work with him, Obi-wan?"

"Of course, Master Vant." Obi-wan answered gingerly taking the youngling who looked up at him with expressive blue eyes. The gaze reminded him of Qui-Gon, it was actually almost scary at how the youngling unnerved him.

"The Council is expecting my presence soon, young Du Mahn will be coming to watch over the younglings. I have to assure the Council all is fine amongst the younglings, they'll be pleased, they all have the potential to be fine Jedi." Her gaze as she spoke fluttered over to Anakin and lingered on him.

"Obi." The clearly young voice said simply.

Obi-wan looked at the source and found the youngling looking at him. "Yes, my name is Obi-wan." He answered, hoping desparately that the child caught on to his whole name. He could imagine his Master finding this amusing.

"Remarkable, he is quite at ease in your presence. Perhaps you are holding your future student, Obi-wan?" Docent said, smiling and obviously very pleased. "I had concerns about him, he was a later arrival at two years old. Apparently he was found by a Jedi Knight on the Outer rim,by complete accident. He has adjusted very well, a good natured child."

Obi-wan almost choked at the comment. Why did everyone so far seem to believe he would train a Padawan? First Master Qui-Gon had remarked that he might find his future student and now Master Vant was being even more specific. He found that the child was tanned, obviously he came from one of the hotter climate planets.

When he was working with the youngling, he was impressed. Anakin, as his name was had managed to levitate the small ball, specially designed for that. However by levitating it normally meant just a little off the floor but Anakin while not quite able to float it, he had it several inches above the ground.

At that moment Obi-wan could almost see the future: he as a Jedi Knight and at his side the young padawan which was an older version of Anakin. He wondered if perhaps Master Qui-Gon and Master Vant might just be correct.

* * *

Docent Vant had ran through the usual information that she always conveyed to the council on the younglings, mainly progression and other such matters. "There is a youngling, he is remarkably talented in the force, it seems for him to wield the force it is natural and does not take the same effort it has taken the others. He is a good natured child, his force presence reminds me of yours, just untrained."

"Young Skywalker's midichlorian count stated in the files is higher than that of Master Yoda," Mace Windu told her, his files which were public to Jedi Knights and above were doctored, his midichlorian count lowered to only slightly above that of Master Yoda. "In his files it is only slightly above but in truth his is the highest count ever recorded, his midichlorian count is off the charts." He looked around at the other Council members, all suitably shocked. "That information is to remain amongst all of us, imagine the danger the child could be in if someone wishing to strike a blow against us discovered that information?"

"The Chosen one, that child is the chosen one, isn't he?" The Twi'lek almost shouted in shock, her mind racing. She had felt the power in the youngling but never had she conceived that the child could be as powerful as that. Master Yoda nodded in response. "I see now, the pressure the child will have been put under, if the entire Order knew. The jealously—" another of the Masters looked surprised. "Council Masters, not even Jedi can be immune to such petty jealously. It happens very often amongst the Padawans, unfortunately. No-one shall hear of this from my lips."

The idea of the Jedi order having a Jedi that powerful, silenced the council.

"Come from hiding, the sith will, hard will in the years ahead times be. Of bad times ahead but of the light overcoming the darkness, a sign the child is. Of greatness, his destiny is, forge a new way of the Jedi, he will. " Master Yoda broke the silence.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Ran into a lack of motivation wall but I karate chopped it out of my way and here is the update. Timeskip of almost three years (2 years, nine months) years—you don't honestly think that writing an entire fiction on a toddler would work out well? Kitster came into it entirely by accident but since this is an AU—I guess I can get away with it. I enjoyed writing the last part, it came quite suddenly. Kitster will not be an overly powerful Jedi but he will remain as a friend to Anakin, I think.

It had been almost three years since Anakin had been brought to the Jedi Temple and a year since he was made part of an initiate clan. Master Vant was in charge of the Thernbee Clan and she had been responsible for naming them, obviously she had spent some time considering the name. There were only seven younglings, once there had been eight but Baraun Lerun had been returned to his family after the death of his brother. That had left him as the only heir to a wealthy business—in cases such as that to prevent infighting the Jedi would relinquish their custody.

Master Docent Vant had taken that particular group of younglings because of a certain youngling, Anakin Skywalker. When she had first discovered the potential the boy held she had did her best to keep him challenged but ensure no others than those already with the knowledge discovered the power he would one day command. It was proving harder, young Knights often watched younglings as potential students in the future and he had already been noticed. Such talent that was already shining through was nearly impossible to hide.

Amongst her clan there was another human who was from the Outer Rims. His name was Kitster Chanchani Banai, a strange coincidence she had discovered was that he was from Tatooine and both boys held vague recollections of each other. Kitster did not have a particularly impressive midichlorian count, especially when compared to his friend but he was a diligent youngling. In the scale of force potential he was just slightly above the average count of Jedi.

After the young Jedi Ki-Adi-Mundi had came across Anakin on the Outer Rim, it became a common occurrence that thrice yearly Jedi searched for force sensitive younglings. For the first time in recorded memory, some slightly older at the age of five years were accepted into the Order, mostly orphans and slaves.

The standard of living in many of the Outer Rim planets was low, many parents would gladly give their children a better standard of living by giving them to the Jedi. In the Inner Rim that was rarer because the general standards were higher. The Outer Rim had many orphans and slaves and with the growing presence of Jedi many benefited from it. The Jedi had suddenly gained a boost in reputation and had been commended for their work.

In the eyes of Docent, Anakin Skywalker was the catalyst for this. The one who had a destiny ahead of him had already began, before he even became a Padawan, in making changes. Despite her knowing she was showing favouritism, both of the Tatooine boys were the ones she thought of the most fondly. As a Twi'lek many of her people were enslaved in the pleasure industries as dancers and of course the seedy sex industry—both of the boys had been in slavery. She sympathised with them and had great hopes for both of them.

Docent froze as she watched Anakin raise a hand and the building blocks that had been placed out—the younglings were given a task of building an object with them—floated slowly towards him. She took a deep breath, she released it and held herself back from praising Anakin. She was experienced with younglings and she knew that too much encouragement would only lead to some difficult situations. Then the building block dropped suddenly and it smacked Karott Ban, a young male Twi'lek on the head.

Karrott burst into tears almost as soon as he overcame his surprise and Docent went immediately to his side, picking him up to soothe him and ensure that the building block had not hurt him badly. However she made one mistake, turning her back on Kitster Banai and Anakin Skywalker.

The two younglings had taken that opportunity to slip out of the room, giggling in their childish way at the thought of freedom. Just as they left, Karott stopped his tears and his eyes twinkled with mischief.

They looked out of place,they were both not old enough to be Padawan Learners and were unaccompanied with no Padawan or Knight. They attracted attention but it was testament to the skills of the two younglings as they avoided being apprehended and continued their adventure.

"Anakin, we are going to be in big trouble," Kitster moaned, his face scrunching up as he looked at his best friend. For his age of almost four he spoke clearly, a testament to the maturity Jedi younglings gained at a young age. His eyes half-closed as he began to imagine the 'corrections' they would be given in the form of a lecture.

Anakin simply shrugged. "Stop being such a baby," the four year old replied. "This is going to be wizard!"

Kitster simply whimpered as he imagined the consequences of this adventure. "Ani we need to go back." The dark skinned boy whined.

"Don't call me Ani, it's a girl name," The blonde replied, his hair was slowly darkening but it could still be considered blonde at the moment. "We're Jedi, not girls."

"B-b-but Master Vant is a girl and a Jedi," Kitster protested. He looked at his friend, didn't Anakin know that Master Vant was a girl?

"Master Vant is a woman—different things." Anakin answered as he pulled Kitster into an alcove as two of the older Padawan Learners passed by. "

"How do you know?" Kitster asked suspiciously.

"Just do." Anakin answered stubbornly, his nose wrinkling in annoyance.

Anakin peeked out and with a happy grin he tugged on the sleeve of his friend as he took in the empty hall. "Lets go." He cried out, picking up speed as he tried to decide on a direction to go in. Kitster was following although with Anakin dragging him he did not have much choice in the matter.

Master Mace Windu was occupied as he read through a datapad with reports but he was not distracted enough to miss two disobediant younglings. Schooling his expression into a perfectly calm one he coughed from behind the younglings. The two younglings span around at a speed that ought to have made them dizzy and the dark skinned youngling groaned. Hiding a smile he fixed his eyes on the both of them. He did not even need to say a word as they stood waiting for a telling off.

The Jedi Master had gotten involved in his own share of escapades as a youngling, escaping the Clan Master was a tradition to attempt at least once. Master Windu pocketed the datapad and placed his large hands on the shoulders of each youngling.

Recognising Anakin as being from the Clan of Master Docent Vant he began to steer the two younglings back through the halls. Passing Jedi stopped to look, some disapproving but others stopped for a few seconds as if they were recalling similar circumstances. He stopped outside the room and saw the female Twi'lek who only had a single Lekku, a result of a injury that amongst others had almost claimed her life. "I believe these belong to you." The Korun Master said dryly as he gently pushed the two younglings towards her.

"Master Windu, I owe you my thanks for returning my errant younglings," Docent said, she looked at Master Windu gratefully as she looked over Anakin and Kitster, reassured they had not gotten up to something destructive, she hoped. "Go join your Clan-mates, I will be in shortly and we will be having a talk." Master Vant said, it was a promise.


End file.
